HMRC- Paralegal

How To Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a name blind CV, a 500-word Personal Statement, a 500-word Statement on the essential criteria and separate 250-word statements addressing the specified behaviours.

Your application will include:

• A CV, to include job history covering up to the last 4 years.
• A 500-word Personal Statement to include what you can bring to the role including evidence of how you work in a pressured environment tailored to the job specification.

• A 250-word Statement on the Behaviour Making Effective Decisions to include: Taking responsibility for making effective decisions. Explain how decisions have been reached. Demonstrate the consideration of all options and wider implications.

• A 250-word Statement on the Behaviour Working Together to include: How you would contribute to an inclusive working environment where all options and challenges are listened to and all individual needs are taken into account. Offer support and help to colleagues. Change ways of working between teams in order to achieve results.

• A 500-word statement on how you meet the Essential Criteria. The full word-count does not need to be used – bullet points will be sufficient.

Your CV should cover your job history and will be scored against the roles and responsibilities outlined in the advert.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Sift

A preliminary sift on the Essential Criteria will be conducted and only candidates meeting the criteria will progress.

In the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will assess the CV and Personal Statement. (The CV and Personal Statement will be given a combined score).

Those applications progressing to a full sift will be assessed using the Behaviour Statements: Making Effective Decisions and Working Together.

If an initial sift is not required, applications will be assessed using all elements of the application: CV and Personal Statement (the CV and Personal Statement will be given a combined score) and the Behaviour Statements Making Effective Decisions and Working Together.

Candidates who are successful at the sift stage and progress to interview will be interviewed online.

Interview

The interview process will include Behaviours (Making Effective Decisions and Delivering at Pace) and Strengths-based questions. Full details will be provided to those candidates invited to interview.

This is an example of a strengths-based question:

“It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?”

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

Start dates may not be agreed straight away but this will be discussed further with successful candidates.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and appointments will be made in strict merit order.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment Excellence Team via ubsrecruitmentexcellence@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service